Films Media Group (FMG), North America’s leader in educational video, announced today the release of The Drama of Creation, Writers on Writing, an insightful and entertaining documentary containing rare interviews with some of American’s most successful and influential dramatists. During this production, writing masters including the late August Wilson, Arthur Miller, and Wendy Wasserstein, as well as Edward Albee, Tina Howe, Terrance McNally, Neil Simon and a dozen others provide a fascinating look at the creative process.

Where do ideas come from? Why is writing so powerful? Through colorful anecdotes and practical advice, these writing giants share with us their sources for ideas, curious writing routines and in many cases, hardscrabble road to success. The work is an inspiration to all writers, whether authors of plays, lyrics, poems or stories of any type.

Among the proverbial gems: the late August Wilson (Fences, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Jitney) reveals how he used napkins to jot down his most creative ideas. The late Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman, All My Sons) discloses how he wrote the concept for Death of a Salesman during his college days in Brooklyn and had forgotten about the manuscript until years later. The late Wendy Wasserstein (The Sisters Rosensweig) explains how her writing began with a dramatic moment or scene in mind, and her focus on characters and their dialogue to build to those culminating instants. Tina Howe (Museum, One Shoe Off) recounts how she was a less-than-model student and a “lost soul” who sought refuge in writing.

In 2005, FMG commissioned the The Drama of Writing, Writers on Writing in collaboration with the Kansas-based William Inge Center for the Arts, a critical resource for playwrights and the sponsor of the well-regarded annual William Inge Film Festival, which honors a different playwright every year. The center is located in Independence, KS, on the campus of Independence Community College. Content for the documentary is the culmination of two decades of interviews with featured playwrights, compiled by the Media Resources Center of Wichita State University under the leadership of executive director Michael Wood. FMG produced the documentary in collaboration with Wood.

The short documentary (46 minutes) is targeted at aspiring high school and college-level writers in need of inspiration and practical advice. The film brims with useful information. Neil Simon (The Odd Couple, Biloxi Blues, Barefoot in the Park, Lost in Yonkers) explains the best way to judge the quality of writing while August Wilson makes a plainspoken case on the benefit and necessity of perseverance.

FMG currently has 2,000 titles available digitally through its FMG On Demand service launched in September. With 200 new titles being added each month, this collection includes many exclusive offerings from leading producers and broadcasters including PBS, BBC and ABC News as well as original content produced by FMG. The Drama of Creation, Writers on Writing is a product of FMG’s esteemed Films for the Humanities & Sciences brand, tailored specifically for advanced level high school and college students. FMG On Demand is the only digital delivery provider with titles for colleges, universities and community colleges.

For reviewers, if you would like to receive a complimentary DVD or VHS review copy of The Drama of Writers, Writers on Writing or speak to the FMG producers responsible for its creation, please contact John Hartnett at (609) 671-5716 or e-mail protected from spam bots. A transcript is also available on request.

For a preview of the film or for information, visit: www.films.com/LXN

To watch the entire movie online, go to http://www.fmgondemand.com/ and type the word "review" in the playlist code box and select "Go.” Click the “Play” button in the lower left-hand corner underneath the black screen. This free, full-length feature is for private use only, not for broadcast, and will expire at midnight on March 17, 2006. We welcome your review of this film.

About Films Media Group
Films Media Group (FMG) is North America’s leading source of high-quality educational video and multimedia programs for schools, colleges, libraries, the medical community, and other institutions. The mission of Films Media Group is to provide educators, students, and life-long learners with outstanding media content and technology solutions that engage, enrich, and inspire. FMG is a PRIMEDIA (NYSE: PRM) company based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

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